Chelsea FC: A Look at the New Backroom Staff

From the instant Villa-Boas arrived in West London, reporters jumped to the conclusion that the young Portuguese boss would be like a kid in a candy store in this summers transfer market.

With papa Abramovich footing the bill, it was assumed he would go out and snatch up every big name he could and create the all-star team he couldn't do financially at Porto.

But Villa-Boas is smart and handled his priorities first. Before even opening his mouth regarding transfer targets, he looked to fill his backroom with a reliable and trustworthy staff to assist him in the teams quest for domestic and European glory.

This morning at a press conference Villa-Boas announced he will be joined by Roberto Di Matteo, Jose Mario Rocha and Daniel Sousa at Stamford Bridge. The three become the first individuals brought into the club by the new manager and immediately establishes the philosophy of football he wishes to play:

"It is not just a question of winning, it is a question of winning with a certain amount of flair," Villa-Boas told reporters. "Everybody likes attacking football, the Premiership is the most exciting league in the world. It is a league where a certain amount of goals happen in every game and we want it to be like that. We have people who most of all defend to the death a philosophy that the game should be an entertaining game for the fans and that will be one of our main focuses as well."

Flair. That's the word that will be used to describe Chelsea next season. The old days of the brutish and powerful play of the Blue's seems to be over.

Most transfer targets seem to fit the kind of game Villa-Boas wants to play next season. And any who don't quite fit the mold will work with the 33-year-old and his new hires to put them on the same page in a story that hopefully ends in European glory.

Assistant Manager: Roberto Di Matteo

Like Villa-Boas, Di Matteo is no stranger to the Chelsea grounds. He ended his playing career in 2002 after spending the eight previous years with the Blues.

The Swiss-born midfielder had a relatively successful career, playing for other top clubs such as Zurich and Lazio before landing at Stamford Bridge.

He would play his international football for Italy, making 34 appearances.

His managerial career started in 2008 as head of MK Dons. In his first season he guided them to a third place finish in League One, losing out in penalties in the playoffs.

He would go on to West Bromwich Albion the following year. Again in his first season he would have success, placing second in the Football League Championship and earning automatic promotion to the Premier League.

In top flight football, Di Matteo experienced mixed success at the beginning of the season but would later slump in the winter. He was sacked in January.

Of all the appointments Villa-Boas has made this may prove to be the most controversial for the simple fact that it is not Ray Wilkins. Many thought the former English star would retake his post as assistant manager. But Di Matteo is a reasonable alternative.

What he will provide Villa-Boas with is knowledge of the English game. His success as a manager so quickly shows that he has an inherent knack for understanding what it takes to win in the English league.

Furthermore, he possesses the quick paced and high attacking mentality that is typical of a Villa-Boas squad.

West Brom had a decent average of 1.30 goals per game under his reign. His connections to Italy and Switzerland could also be used to help scout some new talent in countries where Chelsea has been absent the past few seasons.

Assistant Manager: Steve Holland

Holland is not a new face to the club.

In 2009 he was appointed the reserve team manager. In his first season he guided the future stars to the domestic double, the first time in the teams history. Last season he would win the Barclays Premier Reserve League.

Villa-Boas promoted Holland to the assistant first team manager today for his success on the youth level. He has many assets that he will bring in his new role.

Like Di Matteo, He has years of experience in the English game.

His two years of experience at the club will help Villa-Boas understand the system that is currently in place at Stamford Bridge.

His days in charge of the youth squads can assist the Portuguese boss in learning the future players Chelsea has in its ranks.

His appointment also seems to be to keep some continuity in the club for both the sake of the team and the fans. He will be the only English-born coach on the team.

Opposition Scout: Daniel Sousa

Daniel Sousa, at age 25, will be the youngest of the staff serving under Villa-Boas.

Sousa is following Villa-Boas from the Iberian league where they worked together at both Academia and Porto.

There is not much public information about the young Portuguese man. He is relatively new to big club ball, but it is safe to assume he is an adequate scout given the success that teams he has assisted on have had.

It is obvious to see why the boss would appoint such a young man to be his opposition scout.

First, youth brings new and fresh ideas. Scouting an opposition is like solving a puzzle. Every team has their weakness and tries to hide it. Sometimes younger scouts are better at identifying these weaknesses, as they are more open to different techniques and ways of looking at the game.

Second, Villa-Boas has made it clear he wishes to establish a communal atmosphere in the clubhouse. With a benevolent attitude like this its easy to see why he would give a young man a chance, the same way he did under Mourinho in the very same place.

Physical Fitness Coach: Jose Mario Rocha

Like Sousa, Rocha is following Villa-Boas from their days at Porto.

Again, bringing along familiar faces is logical, especially when you plan to implement a totally new system. Rocha's priority will be to make sure that the players are physically ready for the demands of the high energy style Chelsea will be playing next season.

The amount of work Rocha will have to do is really still up in the air. Chelsea in the past have been a team that does not show exceptional speed. They are not exactly slow, but rather just have players that utilize other aspects to play the game.

Should many of the rumored transfers not occur, Rocha will have his hands full balancing the demands of a system like this against the capabilities of aging legs such as Lampard, Essien and Anelka.

What are your thoughts on Villa-Boas first signings as the Chelsea Manager?